Tentering or like machine for drying cloth or other material



Jan. 17, 1950 J. DUNGLER TENTERING OR LIKE MACHINE FOR OEYING CLOTH OR OTHER MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 22, 1947 Jan. 17, 1950 J. DUNGLER 2,495,163

TENTERING OR LIKE MACHINE FOR DRYING CLOTH OR OTHER MATERIAL Filed July 22, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR.

Jan. 17, 1950 J. DUNGLER TENTERING OR LIKE MACHINE FOR DRYI CLOTH OR OTHER MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 22, 1947 Patented Jan. 17, 1950 2;495,163 TENTER-INGOR LIKE MACHINE FOR DRYING HEISSUED CLOTH B (JTHER MATERIAL Julien Dungler, Basel, Switzerland JUL 3 195i Application July 22, 1947, Serial No. 762,776 In France February 24, 1939 section 1, Public Law 69o, August s, 194s Patent expires February 24, 1959 6 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in or relating to tentering and like machines for drying cloth or other web material, and more particularly to those machines which have been well known for a long time, in which the drying fluid, such as hot air, is projected on to the cloth through groups of blowing nozzles which are arranged on either side of the plane of Atravel or passage of the cloth.

It is known that, -owing to the fact that the width of the cloths that may have to be treated on the same tenter varies considerably, often in a proportionl of one to three, it was necessary to arrange the nozzles ai; some distance, of the order of about ten to fifteen centimetres, from the surfaces of the cloth, so as to allow the guide rails projecting above and below the plane of the cloth, and possibly the clips located above said plane to pass in the course of their transverse movement which is necessary for the treatment of cloths of smaller width than the maximum.

It has been admitted that this necessity of placing the blowing nozzles sucha great distance above or beneath the cloth offers serious drawbacks, in view of the fact that with such an arrangement, the velocity of the air at the outlet of the nozzles decreases very rapidly owing to the formation of a substantially stationary air cushion between the orifices of the nozzles and the cloth. This is the reason why the present day arrangements very considerably decrease the practical eiliciency of the tentering machines, since such vefficiency largely depends on the velocity of the.currents of hot air at the instant when they touch the cloth.

The purpose of thev present invention is to remedy this drawback by creating the possibility of arranging the blowing nozzles level with the cloth, so that the currents of hot air reach it at their initial velocity of projection from the nozzles.

According to the present invention a tentering or like machine for drying cloth or other material, including nozzles for drying fluid, on one or 1 both sides of the plane of ,passage ofthe material to be dried, is characterised in that the said nozzles are incorporated also in telescopicallyarranged parts which are extensible in accordi ance with the width of the cloth, whereby the l effective dimensions of the nozzles are automatically adjustable in accordance with said width. The adjustment of the effective dimensions of I the nozzles is preferably eil'ected by movement of chain-guide rails when the spacing of said rails i is altered; andaccording to a preferred embodi- 7 ment of the invention the nozzles which are respectively located above and below the cloth and the orifices of which open level with the surface of said cloth, include a fixed tubular part, the dimension of which corresponds to the minimum width of the cloth to be treated, combined with tubular extensions which are slidably mounted on and relatively to the fixed part and are responsive to the movements of the chain guide rails.

Owing to this fact, Whatever be their rtotal height; the chain-guide rails in no way hinder the construction of the device and the effective dimensions of the nozzles always correspond to the width of the cloth, so that the tenter constantly operates with its maximum efficiency. Furthermore, the moving oi the rails closer together in no way affects the lateral evacuation of the saturated air, since the ends of thenozzles always remain the same distance from the rails.

Owing to the very high efficiency obtained when drying on tenters according to the invention, it is possible, either to reduce the length of the drying tenters while retaining the same output, or to increase considerably the output of existing tenters.

Embodiments of the invention are described hereinafter and diagrammatically illustrated simply by way of non-limitative examples, in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section of a tenter with self-feeding clips, provided with a hot air blowing device constructed according to the invention;

Fig. 1a is a perspective view of the tenter of Fig. 1 with certain parts shown in phantom lines, other parts being omitted for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically a section of the nozzles taken at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view, in transverse section and taken along line 3--3 of Fig. la on an enlarged scale, showing the arrangement of the fixed part of nozzle means and of the movable parts thereof; and

Fig. 4 shows a modification of Fig. 1.

In these drawings, numerals I and I designate the chain-guide rails of a tenter with selffeeding clips 2-2; 3 indicates the cloth to be treated.

Respectively above and below the cloth 3, there are placed similarly constructed arrangements, each including a pipe I for supplying air which is set in motion by a fan (not shown) and passes through a chamber 5 provided with heating elements 6. The chamber 5 communicates with a distributing device 1 which is provided with exaxial direction thereof more or less according to Y requirements. -The extension I0 slides externally, whereas the extension I0 slides internally, on and substantially in alignment to the xed part 9. When the distance between the rails l-I is changed, said extensions are slidably and telescopically moved while being supported and guided by slide-ways engaged on anges Il provided on the fixed lateral conduits 8 8 (see Figs. la and 3).

The extensions lil--l' are displaced in response to the transverse movements of the rails i-l' by means of connecting members I2--l2.

The closing of the outer ends of the conduits 6 8 is effected by means of movable or slidable end means or members l3-l3 which are rigidly secured to the outer ends of the extensions lil--IO and are provided with fluid-tight packings (not shown) which follow the crosssectional shape of said conduits (Fig. la).

The hot air under pressure is projected through the slits or nozzlesl of said tubular parts S-l--lil' on to the cloth 3 which passes a few millimetres from said nozzles; the air becomes saturated with moisture and escapes from the blowing nozzles through the free spaces between the nozzles.

In Fig. 1, the adjustment of the blowing nozzle system is asumed to be eected for cloth of maximum width; in the case in which cloth of smaller widths is to be treated, the rails I-I are moved towards each other and the extensions lil--IO' automatically and telescopically move the same amount inwards and in alignment with respect to xed part 9.

In the modification of Fig. 4, there is provided, on either surface of the cloth, two sets of separated nozzles one set being blowing nozzles and the other set suction nozzles. The rst are connected to the chamber 5a which conveys the hot air from heating elements 6a and fan and the others to a suction chamber I4, these chambers being separated by a partition I5. The distributing device or manifold for the air or fluid is designated by la.

It is also possible to provide blowing nozzles at one surface of the cloth and suction nozzles at the opposite surface.

It is of course understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction described. For example the adjustment of the length of the nozzles may be effected otherwise than by means of the chain-guide rails themselves.

It is of course also to be understood that the invention is applicable not only to single path tenters, but to those with stages. In this latter case, the chamber or chest containing the heating elements is placed outside the path.

It is obvious that it is also applicable to tenters which are only provided with nozzle arrangements on one side of the cloth, either above, or below.

It is also possible to consider the application of the invention to similar machines.

It can thus be seen that there have been provided according to the invention improvements in or relating to tentering or like machines for treating web material, characterized by the combination of central tubular fixed means including nozzles, said nozzles being directed to and extending adjacent the plane of cloth to be treated. movably arranged tubular extension means each including nozzles directed to and positioned to extend to' the plane of the cloth to be treated, said extension means being arranged for movement beyond said central tubular fixed means. guide means arranged to extend in the direction of said central tubular fixed means and to support said extension means when moved along said guide means to thereby adjust the total operative extent of all nozzles commensurate with the width of the cloth to be treated, a distributing manifold disposed for supply of a fluid to said nozzles, lateral conduits in communication with said manifold and carrying said guide means, said extension means being each provided with an end member disposed for sliding engagement within said lateral conduits, respectively, chain-guide rails including clips positioned to extend beyond said extension means, said clips being adapted to engage said cloth when passing through said machine, and means connecting said chain-guide rails with said extension means whereby the total extent of said fixed means and of said movably arranged extension means may be automatically and telescopically adjusted in accordance with the distance of the chain-guide rails between each other.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

I claim:

l. In a tentering machine for drying cloth and similar web material; the combination of a central fixed part carrying nozzles directed to and positioned adjacent to the plane of the cloth to be treated when passing through said machine, the extent of said central fixed part corresponding to the minimum width of the cloth to be treated, with a movably arranged extension provided with nozzles and positioned for slidable movement to and from either end of said central part, flange means arranged to slidably support said extension nozzles when moved in the direction of said central xed part to thereby adjust the total operative extent of all nozzles commensurate with the width of the cloth to be treated, a distributing manifold arranged to supply a fluid to said central part and to said extensions, chain-guide rails including clips positioned at the outer ends of said extensions, said clips being adapted to engage said cloth when passing through said machine, and means connecting said chain-guide rails with said outer ends of said extensions whereby the total extent of said nozzles on said xed part and of said movably arranged extension nozzles may be automatically adjusted in accordance with the distance of the chain-guide rails between each other.

2. In a tentering machine for drying cloth and similar web material; the combination of a tubular fixed part including nozzle means, said nozzle means being directed to and positioned adjacent the plane of the cloth to be treated, with movable'tubular extension parts each including nozzle means and arranged to extend in the direction of said tubular fixed part, guide means connected to said xed part and arranged to permit movement of said extension parts in the direction to and from said tubular xed part to thereby adjust the total operativel extent of all nozzle means .commensurate with the width of the cloth to be treated, a distributing manifold arranged for supplying a uid to said nozzles, chain-guide rails including clips disposed for location beyond said extension parts, said clips being adapted to engage said cloth when passing through said machine, and means connecting said chainguide rails with said extension parts whereby the total extent of said fixed part and of said movable extension parts may be automatically adjusted in accordance with the distance of the chain-guide rails between each other.

3. In a tentering machine for drying cloth and web material; the combination of central tubular fixed means including nozzles, said nozzles being directed to and extending adjacent the plane of cloth to be treated, movably arranged tubular extension means each including nozzles directed to and positioned to extend to the plane of the cloth to be treated, said extension means being arranged for movement beyond said central tubular fixed means, guide means arranged to extend in the direction of said central tubular fixed means and to support said extension means when moved along said guide means to thereby adjust the total operative extent of all nozzles commensurate with the width of the cloth to be treated, a distributing manifold disposed for supply of a fluid to said nozzles, lateral conduits in communication with said manifold and carrying said guide means, said extension means being each provided with an end member disposed for sliding engagement within said lateral conduits, respectively, chain-guide rails including clips positioned to extend beyond said extension means, said clips being adapted to engage said cloth when passing through said machine, and means connecting said chain-guide rails with said extension means whereby the total extent of said fixed means and of said movably arranged extension means may be automatically and telescopically adjusted in accordance with the distance of the chain-guide rails between each other.

4. A tentering machine for drying cloth and like web material comprising in combination central tubular fixed means including nozzles directed to and arranged for position adjacent the cloth to be treated, tubular extension means each including nozzles directed to anddisposed to extend .to and adjacent said cloth to be treated, said extension means being arranged substantially in alignment with and positioned for support by said central tubular nxed means, guide means arranged to facilitate sliding movement of said extension means in substantially aligned direction to and from said central tubular fixed means to thereby adjust the total operative; extent of all nozzles commensurate with the width of the cloth to be treated. a distributing manifold for supplying a fluid to said nozzles, lateral conduits in communication with said manifold, said extension means being each provided with an end member disposed for displacement within said lateral conduits, respectively. chain-guide rails including elipspositioned adjacent the outer' n.

l0 5. A tentering machine for treating cloth and like web material comprising in combination tubular fixed means including nozzles directed to and arranged for position adjacent the cloth. to be treated, slidable tubular extension means each including nozzles directed to and disposed to extend to and adjacent said cloth to be treated, said extension means being substantially aligned with said tubular fixed means, flange means arranged on said iixed means and adapted to support said extension means when slid in lengthwise direction to and from said tubular xed means to thereby telescopically adjust the total operative dimension of said nozzles commensurate with the width of the cloth to be treated,

g5 means for engaging said cloth and positioned adjacent said extension means for moving said cloth past said nozzles, and means positioned intermediate said cloth engaging means and said extension means whereby said extension means may be automatically adjusted in lengthwise direction of and relatively to said fixed means in accordance with the distance between said cloth en'- gaging means across said tubular fixed means and said tubular extension means.

6. In a drying tentering machine and the like,

in combination, fixed nozzle means situated close to the plane of a stretched cloth, the length of said fixed nozzle means corresponding to the minimum width of the cloth to be treated, ex-

40 tension nozzle means situated on both sides of said fixed nozzle means and slidable relatively thereto to vary the total operative length of all nozzle means depending upon the width of the cloth to be treated, said nozzle means having 4l openings directed toward the cloth, a distribution manifold communicating with said xed nozzle means and having lateral extensions communicating with said extension nozzle means,

means connected with said distributing manifold I. for supplying a fluid thereto, chain-guide rails situated `on both sides of said extension nozzle means, clips carrying said cloth and supported by said chain-guide rails, and members connecting said chain-guide rails with said extension nozzle il means, whereby the total operative length of all nozzle means may be varied when the spacing of the chain-guide rails is altered.

JULIEN DUNGLER.

n REFERENCES CITED '.Ihe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Il Number Name g Date 401,932 .Craven Apr. 23, 1889 1,676,091 Kemp July 3, 1928 1,717,004 Buell:v June 11, 1929 2,270,155

- Willen Jan. 13, 1942 

